Invalid&#39;s vehicle



Jan. 6, 1948. c w 2,433,969

' INVALIDS VEHICLE I I Filed Jan. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

Claesier]? PVaad fiaugrw AIME/V576" Jan. 6, 1948. F, WOOD 2,433,969

INVALID S VEHICLE Filed Jan. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. Chester] Wood Y ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,433,969 INVALIDS VEHICLE Chester F. Wood, Stony Brook, N. Y. Application January 30, 1945, Serial No. 575,326

2 Claims.

This is an invention for a device to aid in the rehabilitation of invalids, especiallypatients suffering with leg wounds or other injuries to the lower limbs and the invention embodies a mobile vehicle which is useful as a wheel chair, as a limb exerciser and as a walking aid so as to encourage a patient in the use of his legs. The invention broadly'comprehends a device of the indicated character which in addition to serving as a wheel chair and means for exercising the legs while in a seated position, provides a mobile protective apparatus equipped with swingable under arm supports similar to but safer than the ordinary crutches by means of which the patient may learn by himself to regain the use of his legs in walking without requiring the individual assistance of nurses or other hospital attendants. v

Some of the principal features of the present invention reside in the provisionof a device or apparatus of the'type specified which is adjustable to render the same adaptable to patients of any height and which is made up of detachably associated parts or sections so that the same may be readily assembled while being capable of being easily knocked down andnested together to 011133 a minimum amountof space for storageand shipment. v 1

With the above recited and other objects and features in view, the invention is set forth in greater detail in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

'Fig'. 1 is a perspective view of an invalids vehicle constructed in accordance with the invention, showing one of the crutch members and one of the leg rests in their inactive position and th others in their activepositionl Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l illustrating the caster roller mounting.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken on the 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the locking means for holding the crutch member in adjustedposition.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.1 showing the adjustable clamping means for securing the'crutch members to the vehicle frame.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view illustrating the joint between the rear and side frame sections.

Fig. '6 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale illustrating the means'for securing th axle to the side frame sections.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken on the line 7-1 of Fig. 1 showing the adjustable connection between the seat and side frame section.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referringto' the drawings by characters of reference, the invalids vehicle consists of a framework which, as shown, is preferably of hollow cylindrical tubing and includes a pair of substantially identical rectangular side frame sections A and B, each of which is made up of front and rear uprights l 0 and. II and upper and lower horizontal rails or leads l2 and I3 which are permanently secured together either by forming the same integral or welding or brazing the same to each other;

The lower ends I4 of the front uprights III which project downwardly beyond the lower horizontal rails' [3, are open and have journaled therein on'ball bearing l5 the upper portions of the shanks l6 of caster rollers 11, while the lower ends N3 of the rear uprights ll depend from the lowerhorizontal rails l3 and are curved rearwardly and formed with aligned transverse horizontal apertures l9.' A rear axle 20 having reduced wheel spindles 2| at the opposite ends thereof extends through the apertures l9 and is removably secured in spanning relation to the lower ends l8 of the rear uprights H by means of retaining screws 22 threadedly engaging the same and passing through cap plugs 23 fitted within the open outer terminalsof the rearwardly curved lower ends I8 of said rear uprights. The reduced spindles 2| which protrude laterally beyond the side frame sections A and B have mounted thereon the rear ground wheels 24 and serve together with the caster rollers H to support the vehicle for rolling movement'over the floor, ground or other supporting surface. It will thus' be apparent that the rear axle 20 inaddition to serving as a mounting for the ground wheels 24, functions as a means for detachably connecting together inpredetermined spaced relation the lower rear portions of the side frame members AandBJ In order to detachably connect together in spaced relation the upper rear portions of the side frame sections A and B, a rear horizontal coupling rail section Q is shown, the same being preferably 'ofaccurate rearwardly curved shape with the forwardly'directe'd open terminals 25 thereof adapted to telescopically engage over rearwardly directedbifurcated studs 26 protruding from within-the rear ends of the upper horizontal rails I 2 of the side frame sections A and B. The studs 26 are permanently anchored within th rails l2 and the protruding portions thereof are slit inwardly from the exposed rear ends to bifurcate the same. Locking screws 21 are threadedly engaged through the terminals 25 of the coupling rail section C and. through one of th furcations of each stud 26 to bear against the other and spread the same apart to thereby effect a secure joint between the coupling rail section C and the upper rear portions of the side frame sections A and B. The will thus be evident that a knock-down mobile framework is provided which is of generally U-shaped configuration in plan view so that it is open at its forward end and closed at its rear end.

The vehicle further includes crutch members, designated generally by the reference character D, which are respectively carried by the opposite side frame members A and B for independent lateral swinging movement with reference to each other and the framework to permit of locomotion of the patient while located within and encompassed by the framework so that the vehicle is readily movable with the patient and serves as a safeguard and protection while he is regaining use of his legs. The crutch members D each include a pair of fixed lower tubular guides 3li'which are permanently se'curedto one of a pair of hinged sleeve sections 3| clamped about the lower horizontal rails l3 by means of set screws 32 which are adjusted to provide the desired friction for permitting of acon'trolled lateral swinging movement of the crutch members or to positively lock the same in an out-'of-the-way inactive position as disclosed by the near crutch member in Fig. 1. Each of the crutch members D further includes an adjustable upper section consisting of a pair of rods 34 telescopically slidable through the fixed guides 30 and connected at the upper ends by a head piece .35 upon which is swively mounted the padded arm rest 36. Any suitable means maybe employed to lock and retain the rods 34 of the upper crutch sections in adjusted relation with reference to the tubular guides 30, which means as shown consisting of a hollow cross tube 3'icommunicating at its opposite ends with the guide tubes adjacent their upper ends. An upstanding hollow internally threaded boss 38 communicates with the cross tube and has threaded thereinto an actuator screw 39 which bears against one of a plurality of steel balls 40 interposed betweena pair of thrust pins 4! slidably arranged'within the opposite ends of the cross tube 3'! for projection into the respective guide tubes 33 for frictional locking impingement with the rods 34 of the upper crutch section when the actuator screw 39 is screwed downwardly to effect a relative separation and outward movement of the thrust pins. This permits of adjustment in the length of the crutch members D to conform to the height of the patient as well as the complete collapsing of the crutchmembers so that they may be swung beneath the upper horizontal rails l2 to the inactive out-of-the-way position. 7

In order that the vehicle may also serve in the, capacity of a wheel chair, a combined seat and backrestmember, indicated broadly by the reference character E, is provided and the same consists of a-seat portion 45 and a backrest portion 46, which portions are preferably made of canvas or an equivalent flexible material which is washable. The opposite side areas of thezseat portion 45 are hemmed to provide tunnels 41 for receiving stretcher rods 48 each of which is formed with a medially projecting trunnion 49 which protrudes through a slot intersecting the tunnel 41 centrally thereof. Each trunnion 49 has an enlarged head 50 at its free outer end which is adapted to be selectively positioned in any one of a plurality of vertically spaced socket openings 5! formed in the inner side faces of the rear uprights ll of the side frame sections A and B. A locking sleeve 52 having a notch 53 extending upwardly from its lower edge is slidably arranged on each rear upright H and functions to engage with the trunnions to retain the end rods 38 and the seat portion between and in spanning relation to the rear uprights of the Side members A and B so that said seat portion of the member E may be arranged at the appropriate height for each patient.

The backrest portion 4% of the member E is relatively narrower than the seat portion 45 thereof and is provided with a pair of straps 55 secured thereto and trained around the coupling rail section C where it is adjustably secured by buckles 56 to regulate the length of the straps in accordance with the adjusted height of the seat portion.

As a further feature, means is provided for coupling the vehicle at the forward open end thereof to the side of a bed frame during the time the patient is entering the vehicle framework or emerging therefrom and, as illustrated, said coupling means consists of a pair of hooks till, one for each side of the vehicle. Each of said hooks has an eye 6! at the inner end of its shank which surrounds the forward upright if) so that the hooks may be adjusted vertically to fit over bed frames of varying heights or swung around, when not in use, whereby the free terminals thereof may be engaged in keeper openings 62 formed in the lower horizontal bars l3.

The vehicle also includes leg rest members F which are designed for optional use and which are adjustable to the size of the patient and movable respectively to active and inactive positions. As illustrated, a pair of leg rest members are employed, one being mounted on each side of the forward end of the vehicle and each consists of a panel 65 secured to and swingably carried by a bracket arm anchored to a split tubular bracket base 61 slidably and revolvably arranged on the front upright l0 and retained thereon and held in adjustment by a set screw 38. As shown, the near leg rest member F is shown as disposed in its active position with the panel 55 substantially horizontal and protruding laterally inward from the left hand front upright ll) of the side frame section B. The other leg rest member F is mounted on the right hand upright H] of the side frame section A, and is shown in an inactive out-of-the-way position with the panel thereof disposed vertically and swung into a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the side frame section A. In order to adapt the leg rest members F for use by patients of smaller statures, the same may be removed from the front uprights Ill and mounted on the posts 63 which are secured to and project upwardly from the lower rails l3 in rear- Wardly spaced relation to the front uprights H3.

The vehicle also includes a limb exerciser generally designated by the reference character G, which consists of a transversely disposed pedal strip l6, supported at its opposite ends by swingable arms ll fulcrumed to brackets l2 attached to the lower rails l3 and depending therefrom and having pivotal connection at their lower ends with the pedal strip 56. At the fulcrum and pivotal points, the arms 'H are provided with set screws 73 and M for regulating the friction and increasing or decreasing the force to be exerted in swinging the pedal when exercising the limbs.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle for invalids, a knock-down framework of substantially U-shaped formation in plan and comprising a pair of identical laterally spaced vertically disposed rectangular side frame sections each having front and rear uprights and upper and lower horizontal rails per manently connected together, caster rollers at the lower ends of the front uprights, a transverse axle havin supporting wheels at the opposite ends thereof, means detachably connecting said axle in spanning relation with the lower ends of the rear uprights, a horizontally disposed coupling rail, means detachably securing said coupling rail to the rear ends of the upper horizontal rails of the side frames, a flexible seat and back rest member, vertically adjustable means for detachably anchoring the opposite sides of the seat portion of said member to and in spanning relation between the rear uprights and adjustable means for detachably anchoring the upper end of the back rest portion of said member to the coupling rail.

2. In a vehicle for invalids, a knock-down framework of substantially U-shaped formation in plan and comprising a pair of identical laterally spaced vertically disposed rectangular side frame sections each having front and rear uprights and upper and lower horizontal rails permanently connected together, caster rollers at the lower ends of the front uprights, a transverse axle having supporting wheels at the opposite ends thereof, means detachably connecting said axle in spanning relation with the lower ends of the rear uprights, a horizontally disposed coupling rail, means detachably securing said coupling rail to the rear ends of the upper horizontal rails of the side frames, a flexible seat and back-rest member, vertically adjustable means for detachably anchoring the opposite sides of the seat portion of said member to and in spanning relation between the rear uprights, adjustable means for detachably anchoring the upper end of the back-rest portion of said member to the coupling rail and a limb exercising device including a transversely disposed pedal strip swingably supported at its opposite ends from the lower rails of the side frame sections and adapted to be engaged by the feet of a patient occupying the seat member.

CHESTER F. WOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

